Marigold

Madewell is having a great sale on their summer clothes right now. So many of them would be perfect for fall transition. For example, if you just add a cozy grandpa cardigan with this dress you have a fall outfit in a split second.

The marigold color is hot for fall. In fact, mustard yellow, burnt orange and shades within this color family are all SUPER hot for fall.

I always look for a good sale on quality clothes and J.Crew and Madewell are good spots for me. You will also find some cute denim skirts on sale too!

FALL GIRL STYLE

It's not secret that the Arizona winters are mild. You can usually expect the lows to be in the 50's or 60's and the highs to be in the 70's or 80's. Dressing your kids comfortably for the weather is important, but it also takes some planning when it comes to 20 degree changes throughout the day. The key is layering. 

Elle's outfit usually goes something like this: Jeggings or leggings paired with a long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt over it (sometimes) and then a jacket or puffer vest on top. She also loves to wear tunics or dresses over leggings. Buying a heavy winter jacket isn't necessary in Arizona unless you are going to travel up North and hit the slopes.

That said, having coordinating layers can be a challenge. So, when you find a piece of outerwear like this reversible puffer vest by Appaman you snatch it up as fast as you can. It's fuzzy white one side and a lovely fall merlot on the other. It's not devoid of color, and yet it's neutral.

Denim, of course, is the most neutral fabric and color we can own too. So, in addition to those jeggings or jeans you buy for your kiddo, think about a denim dress like this or shirt too. Any color of leggings or pattern of leggings can go under them.

Pink is Elle's favorite color, and I love this dusty pink long-sleeve shirt for her because she is happy to wear it and the neutral hue goes with a lot of the clothes she already has. Elle has become more vocal about what colors and styles she wants to wear. Pink and purple are her favorites right now, so when I find a pretty top that we both like it's like I've scored a goal.

Bringing them all together I can create multiple outfits.

1. Dress over leggings with the puffer vest
2. Long-sleeve shirt underneath the dress with leggings
3. Long-sleeve shirt over dress with leggings (that way it looks like a top and a skirt
4. Jeggings with shirt and vest

You can find more stylish fall and winter wear on Appaman.com. All of the clothes in these photos except for the black leggings are from Appaman.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; product provided by Appaman

OLIVE GREEN JEANS

This post is sponsored by Zappos. 

Shopping for the perfect pair of jeans can be feel daunting at times, but when you find the perfect pair you feel like you have won the lottery. Am I right? I've already told you about my obsession with online shoe shopping on Zappos.com in past posts, but here's a case for doing your jean shopping online too. It's fast, free shipping both ways and their 365 day return policy allows me to avoid long dressing room lines while trying on my jeans in the comfort of my home. I also particularly love this way of shopping for jeans because then I can create outfits with my clothes and try my pants on with my shoes to see if it all works together. Besides, you'll have more room for those awkward hops, plie squats and moves to get your jeans on and off and listen to Justin Timberlake while you're at it.

Case in point, my new trooper green, skinny Hudson jeans. I've been on the hunt for a neutral color like this olive green, which also happens to be having a moment in the spotlight of fashion right now, and these jeans with built in stretch are perfection.

Hudson has always been a brand that fits me well. I have very long, thin legs, and after having two babies their mid-rise style with stretch is the a great solution to keep any signs of a muffin top at bay. They are so comfortable, and give you that cool factor that only British brands can do.

If you're scared of wearing color on your bottom half you shouldn't be. In fact, olive green is a less assuming color verses bright red or cobalt blue (I have had those colors too). Some ideas of tops and colors that work well with these pants are: pastel pink, rose gold/copper, ivory; white; brown; camel; navy; chambray; light blue; black; rust; maroon; mustard yellow.

This is a quintessential fall outfit for Arizonans. Fall colors of olive and rust are obvious, but my sleeveless knit tank and a boho element of a long scarf ties it all together for a west coast look that doesn't make you sweat in our 80 degree weather.Be sure to give online jean shopping a whirl, and let me know how it goes!

Photos by Katie Jameson

BACK TO BLACK

You learn quickly in the fashion world that when all else fails go with black. I remember going to one of my first fashion events about seven years ago, and wearing what I thought was the coolest outfit. When I got to the event everyone was wearing black and I was sticking out like crazy. Maybe it was a good thing, but at that moment I just wanted to fit in with the fashion scene. Haha. The truth is that when you wear head to toe black no one really can judge your fashion because black is always acceptable.

But, I rarely wear all black. I often times dress how I feel, and most of the time black feels too dark for me. Recently, I was in Austin, TX to talk about all things Pinterest at BlogHerFood, and I decided to wear an edgy outfit combination reminiscent of the 90s that was mostly black.

Sometimes when you go to new places where no one really knows who you are you can have some fun and reinvent yourself. That's one of the things I love most about fashion. You can put on one dress and immediately look and feel different. 

Something about Austin made we want to play up the funky part of my personal style. I wore a white t-shirt, black choker, black lace cami and skinny jeans with boots (get the whole look below). It was a comfy, causal and moody outfit that transformed me instantly into this west coast style fashion blogger. And the rest of the conference I played into this archetype for fun. 

I, of course, would wear this outfit while in Arizona. It's a true aspect of my style, but I wouldn't say it's my go-to, daily choice. And that's okay to have those outfits. Do you have those outfit that morph you into an alter-ego? If so, what are they? I'd love to hear!

Get the look: Lace camisole; white t-shirt; black skinny jeans; back boots; choker; black hat (similar)

Photos by Katie Jameson; this post contains affiliate links

TRANSITIONING TO FALL

This post is sponsored by Zappos and Clarks. 

Remember those color tests in magazines that would tell you if you're a winter, summer, spring or autumn? I always came out an autumn, but I don't really subscribe to the idea that fall colors are the only ones I can wear. However, my olive skin sure does favor them. So, now that my favorite and most flattering season is in full effect, I've partnered with Zappos and Clarks to show you how I wear fall in the west.

The biggest way I celebrate fall is sporting hues such as olive green, rust, cranberry, gray and warm browns. Rust, in particular, just so happens to be having a moment in the lime light. I fell in love with this silk blouse because of the rich color and because of the belle sleeves, which are also a hot fall trend to take note of. My style is always a bit of masculine and feminine, so I paired my new Clark booties with the romantic outfit, and accessorized with a trendy choker from Wanderlust + Co.

Along with wearing fall colors, the key to staying comfortable in the fall is to layer. The mornings and nights are cool in the desert and the days are hot. I took my summer body con dress and put it underneath my fall blouse. That may seem like an unusual pairing, but the recent NYFW runway showed a lot of unique proportions and layers. So, I encourage you to stand in your closet and rethink putting those summer pieces away for the winter. 

I also styled that same ivory summer dress with an olive green chunky knit turtleneck over it to give you another idea of how to layer. This will be a good outfit for a cool evening, and the casual quality of the knit goes so well these Clark boots.

If you're looking for a perfect fall boot that can be dressed up or down these are a dream. They are versatile in style and in color, and they are just as cute with black, navy, and well, the rainbow. Clarks is known for high quality leather and long lasting wear, so you can bet on wearing these for seasons to come. You can get yours with fast, easy shipping from Zappos.com. I am a true size 10, and that's the size I ordered. I just wear typical ankle socks and they fit perfectly.

My favorite fall color of all is this muted, silvery teal. I wish there was a more concise name for this hue. I've owned this blouse for six years, and it remains my favorite shirt in my closet. The cool tone of it mixed with the warmth of my Clarks is perfection to me. This is my casual fall outfit to a T. Skinny jeans, booties, a button down and call it good. Well, maybe add a pumpkin spice latte and then it's style heaven for me.

Photography by Rennai Hoefer